Coddium

Settings Manager for Elementor

Settings Manager for Elementor provides granular control over Elementor settings export and import with more flexibility than native tools.

Why is granular important? It allows you to export or import only what you need, e.g., you may create several variants of breakpoints settings, which you can later reuse on the same site or some other site without overwriting other settings.

Features

  • Site Settings – Export and import Site Settings from the Elementor editor
  • Backend Settings – Export and import settings from Elementor > Editor > Settings in WordPress admin
  • Hello Theme Settings – Export frontend and backend Hello Elementor theme settings
  • Selective Export/Import – Export or import only the categories you need
  • 20+ Categories – Granular control for minimum errors and maximum flexibility
  • Merge or Replace – Choose how Global Colors and Global Fonts are imported
  • Media Separation – Export site name without logo, background style without image
  • Clean JSON Format – Version control friendly export files
  • Automatic Backup – Creates a backup before every import for easy recovery
  • Multisite Network Import – Import to multiple network sites at once (PRO)
  • WP-CLI Automation – Command-line export and import for DevOps workflows (PRO)

Available Categories

Design System

  • Global Colors – Predefined and custom global colors
  • Global Fonts – Predefined and custom global fonts

Theme Style

  • Typography – Body, headings, links, paragraph spacing
  • Buttons – Default button styling and hover states
  • Images – Border, shadow, filters for images
  • Form Fields – Label, field, and focus state styling
  • Hello Theme Header/Footer Settings – When Hello Elementor theme is active

Settings

  • Site Identity (Text) – Site name and description
  • Site Identity (Media) – Logo and favicon (separate from text)
  • Background (Style) – Color, gradient, and settings
  • Background (Image) – Background image (separate from style)
  • Layout – Container width, padding, widget spacing
  • Breakpoints – Responsive breakpoint values
  • Lightbox – Colors and behavior
  • Page Transitions – Page transition animations (requires Elementor Pro) (PRO)
  • Preloader Settings – Animation and style (requires Elementor Pro) (PRO)
  • Preloader Media – Icon and image (requires Elementor Pro) (PRO)
  • Custom CSS – Global custom CSS code (requires Elementor Pro) (PRO)

Backend Settings

  • General – Post types, colors, fonts, tracking
  • Integrations – API keys (Google Maps, reCAPTCHA, etc.)
  • Advanced – Editor settings, file uploads, Google Fonts
  • Performance – CSS print method, lazy loading
  • Features – Elementor experiments and stable features
  • Hello Theme Settings – When Hello Elementor theme is active

Installation

  1. Download here (free version which can be upgraded to PRO): Settings Manager for Elementor
  2. Upload the plugin files to /wp-content/plugins/settings-manager-for-elementor/ or install through the WordPress plugins screen
  3. Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress
  4. Navigate to Settings Manager for Elementor to access the interface
  5. Alternatively, access from the Elementor editor’s hamburger menu > Settings Manager

How to Export Settings

  1. Go to Settings Manager > Export tab
  2. Select the categories you want to export
  3. Optionally add a description for reference
  4. Click Export to JSON
  5. Save the generated JSON file
Elementor settings export - 1/2
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How to Import Settings

  1. Ensure you have a site backup
  2. Go to Settings Manager > Import tab
  3. Click Choose JSON File and select your export file
  4. Review the preview showing what will be imported
  5. Select which categories to import
  6. Choose import strategy (Merge or Replace) for colors and typography
  7. Click the import button

Import Strategies

Merge (Recommended)

The Merge strategy is recommended for most use cases:

  • Matches items by their unique ID
  • Updates existing items with imported values
  • Adds new items from the import file
  • Preserves existing custom items not in the import file

Replace

Use Replace when you need exact replication:

  • Completely replaces all colors or typography
  • Existing custom items are removed
  • Best when you want the target site to exactly match the source
Elementor settings import - 1/3
Elementor settings import - 2/3
Elementor settings import - 3/3

Automatic Backup

Settings Manager automatically creates a backup of all your current settings before every import operation. Backups are stored in wp-content/uploads/[sites/{id}/]semfe/auto-backup/ and kept for 30 days.

The backup files use the same JSON format as exports, so you can restore them using the normal import process. If something goes wrong during import, simply import the backup file to restore your previous settings.

Still, we recommend that you also have a full site backup.

Use Cases

  • Development to Production – Export from staging, import to live site with selected categories
  • Client Projects – Create reusable brand guideline templates
  • Multisite Networks – Sync design system across network sites (PRO)
  • Backup & Recovery – Create versioned backups of your settings
  • Team Collaboration – Share settings files between team members

Extra PRO Features

Multisite Network Import

Import settings to multiple network sites simultaneously with real-time progress tracking:

  1. Upload your JSON file on the main site
  2. Expand the Also Import to Network Sites section
  3. Select which network sites should receive the settings
  4. Click Import to This Site + X Network Sites
  5. Monitor real-time progress as each site is updated

Sites without Elementor active are automatically skipped. You can cancel the import at any time.

WP-CLI Commands

Automate settings management with command-line tools:

Export Command

# Export all settings
wp semfe export /path/to/settings.json

# Export with description
wp semfe export /path/to/settings.json --description="Production backup"

# Export specific categories
wp semfe export /path/to/settings.json --categories=global_colors,global_typography

Import Command

# Import from local file
wp semfe import /path/to/settings.json

# Import with replace strategy
wp semfe import /path/to/settings.json --strategy=replace

# Import from URL
wp semfe import https://example.com/settings.json

# Import to specific network sites (multisite)
wp semfe import /path/to/settings.json --sites=2,3,4

# Import to all network sites (multisite)
wp semfe import /path/to/settings.json --sites=all

List Categories Command

# Display as table
wp semfe list-categories

# Output as JSON
wp semfe list-categories --format=json

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this plugin require Elementor Pro?

No. Settings Manager for Elementor works with the free version of Elementor. However, some categories (Page Transitions, Preloader, Custom CSS) require Elementor Pro because those features only exist in Elementor Pro.

What is the difference between Merge and Replace strategies?

The strategy applies to Global Colors and Global Fonts only. Merge updates existing items and adds new ones while preserving items not in the import file. Replace completely replaces all items, removing any that aren’t in the import file.

Which settings are NOT exported by default?

These categories are unchecked by default because they typically need manual setup per site:

  • Site Identity Media (logo, favicon)
  • Background Image
  • Preloader Media
  • Hello Theme Header/Footer Background Images

The Integrations category is also unchecked by default as it may contain API keys. Never share export files containing API keys publicly.

Can I import settings from a different Elementor version?

Generally yes. The plugin exports version information for reference, but settings are imported based on category structure. Minor version differences usually work fine. For major version jumps, test on a staging site first.

How do I access Settings Manager from the Elementor editor?

Click the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-left corner of the Elementor editor, then click Settings Manager. This opens the admin page in a new tab.

Does the free version support multisite?

The free version works on multisite installations for single-site export and import. Batch importing to multiple network sites simultaneously requires the PRO version.

Does the plugin create backups before importing?

Yes. Settings Manager automatically creates a backup of all your current settings before every import operation. Backups are kept for 30 days and can be restored using the normal import process.

Requirements

  • WordPress 6.0 or higher
  • Elementor 3.23.0 or higher
  • PHP 7.4 or higher

Additional Requirements for PRO Features

Multisite Network Import:

  • WordPress Multisite enabled
  • Super admin privileges
  • Elementor active on target sites

WP-CLI Commands:

  • WP-CLI installed
  • Plugin must be active on the site where commands are run

Important Notes

This plugin manages Elementor settings only. It does not export content, templates, themes, plugins, or custom files.

Always maintain a full site backup in addition to using this plugin’s automatic backup feature.